[Elfsea] Silks, brocades, corsets, carcenets, snoods and farthingales...Oh MY!

Randall Mars rosmerryn at yahoo.com
Thu Jun 15 02:49:48 PDT 2006


Gentles all,
   
  I would be honoured to offer my knowledge and experience in designing and constructing Tudor and Elizabethan Court garments if anyone is willing to bear with my short comings.Several people have expressed an interest but due to work and time I have not been able to make a firm date for classes to begin. I am one of the moderators on Margot Andersons elist and spent 3 months working under the direction and guidance of Saychelle Duvall, an apprentice sempstress to the late Janet Arnold. Please understand that I am certainly not a professional by any means but I would love to share what I learned with others.
   
  I passed my primary , secondary and tertiary Journeyman Apprentice presentations to the Royal Guild of Needlework in  Restorative Embroidery  in crewel, petit point, tapisserie, and bargello in the mid '60's. While my evaluation was not brilliant it was acceptable. I was not considered talented or serious enough to perrsue Master status. My mentor and primary instructress was the late Honorable,Gracious and Esteemed Guild Master , Mme. Julian Worthington. Credentials available upon request providing I can manage to convince my Mamma that digging thought the  dusty storage boxes in my sister's attic to find my certificates is really necessary.
   
  My eyesight is regrettably not what it used to be and fine hand stitching is pretty much a thing of the past. What I really love doing is designing, choosing colors and fabrics, and taking real pleasure is knowing that if one of my creations could somehow pass through a mirror back into the Court of Henry VIII, as long as no one looked closely at machine sewing...the wearer of the Gown would cause no comment except admiration and delight. I have spent countless hours in the Tate Gallery, the Vickie, and several other places absorbing the colors, lines,fabrics, and entitlements of the 16th century clothing worn in the Courts of England and France.Building a Court Gown and the accoutrements is not an event, its a process that leads you into another time and mindset and usually takes about a year to accomplish.
   
  Merryn's Costume Fantasy:
   
  For what it's worth, I would LOVE to see our beautiful Baroness of Elfsea in a Henrician Tudor Gown of black microfiber velvet as the overdress, ( French cut Poitiers style bodice ), and a vibrant shimmering primrose silk underskirt decorated with diagonal quilting of seed pearl beading and amethyst aurora Swarv crystals. Spanish open sleeves lined in the primrose silk and the fitted inner sleeve of alternating 2 inch wide bands of  the velvet and the silk trimmed with crossing diagonal rows of garnets, clear crystals, seed pearls and a band of amethyst Swarovski crystals at the edge of each wrist to show off her lovely hands.I would suggest for Her Excellency the Katherine Howard style of French Hood in Black velvet with fine 1 inch gold banded ruched( very fine pleats ) ribbon lace around the face under the crescent and a 2 inch high standing billement of the crystals, garnets and amethyst using antique stained gold cuplets to hold the beading....ah well... maybe
 someday I can convince her .....but it's doubtful....*g* The gown would be the easy part....the real trick would more than likely be convincing her that being tightly laced into a corset and managing a farthingale would be a stunning fashion statement as well as a testimony to her strength and resolution....*wink*
   
  As usual I have rattled on far too long. To cut the the chase: if any of the Gentle Ladies of Elfsea think they might want to go into this adventure with me...let me know. I already know that Aislenn, Pyro, Siobahn, and Theresa are interested. If any other Ladies are wondering how they would look dressed like one of King Henry VIII's dance partners, let me know...Once you look into a mirror and see yourself in full Court attire, you will discover the addiction. I know, not only did it happen to me, I have seen it happen to other unsuspecting Gentlewomen who came to my house to try on gowns, hats, carcenets, fans, underpinnings,cloaks, gloves, and snoods.... aka Play Barbies.
   
   
  Small note: Ahem... for those of us populace types who are not peers, nobles or titled: the Tudor era was one of the few times that crowns were not worn by Titled and/or Landed men or women except for Coronations, Royal Funerals, and Elevation/ Entitlement. Translation: ok, so we can't wear a pretty circlet, but you can put beads, pearls, gold and crystals on the billement of your fench hood or around the face frame of an English Gabled Hood ( affectionately called the cuckoo clock hat) and the flashing sparkle will warm the cockles of your heart and widen the eyes of stunned mundanes and small children...definitely satisfying...*giggle*
   
  With love and sincere affection in sharing the dream,
  Merryn Carew de Courcelles


If you raise envy in others, 'tis your own strength at blame...for causing such spite from the weak and the tame.~Jocelyn St.Aubin~
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